Beer: Reviews & Ratings

1. From tasting notes – had on tap at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Hazy gold with a thin white foam collar. A touch of funk on the nose with peach and other fruit. Palate is peachy and funky. Medium body with a wild yeast texture. Decent but not their best work. (257 characters)

Yeasty, malty aroma has a definite, if not overpowering, note of peach. Pours a lovely clear amber with a fairly thick and fine-bubbled cream head. Strongly yeasty flavor has subtle malty and peach notes with hints of citrus and - banana? Smooth, just slightly slimy texture has an OK amount of fizz. Sit back and enjoy a mouth full of the classic South! (354 characters)

But the taste is much better. The funky yeast is still there, as is the earthy notes and the peppery spice. But a healthy tartness is also there from the beginning mitigating the sweetness. The other notes add complexity, but the finish is rather clean. Have been cellaring this beer almost a year, and the result is very smooth.

Body is medium heavy with a light, prickly carbonation. A very fine beer. (661 characters)

Poured from a 22 oz brown bomber into a clear glass snifter. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) a few months ago and refrigerated since purchase.

A: Hazy orange with short rapidly dissipating 1/2-finger off-white head with no real lacing.

S: Aroma is intensely fruity with a lot of overripe peach aroma. The light Brett earthiness is a nice complement to the fruity-peachy qualities. The hopping is minimal. Yeast esters are not really evident due to the level of fruit.

T: Not a bad tasting beer but not a saison in too many senses. It is enjoyable enough with a lot of intense peach cobbler type sweetness, with the peach fruitiness and brown sugary sweetness combining pretty well but borders on cloying. The Brett accents are nice and keep it from being runaway sweet by adding some earthy character. The maltiness is not really too much else and hops are a nonfactor. Yeast esters are mainly fruity but also background.

M: Pretty heavy, and I am not sure why they felt they had to go to 9.4% on this guy. More in the typical saison/fruit beer range of 6.5% would have left a less syrupy, cloying beer with a little more drinkability. As this one is, it is pretty heavy and the sweetness weighs on you after a while.

O: Not a bad beer but I would probably pass on buying more owing to the intense sweetness without a whole lot else modulating it except for a light dose of Brett earthiness. Decreasing this into a more drinkable body and ABV would be welcome and make this more in the mold of a saison. (1,545 characters)

A: The beer is relatively clear yellowish amber in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high white head that died down and left a collar around the edge of the glass.S: Light aromas of peaches are present in the nose.T: The taste has some flavors of peaches but these aren't that prominent and are somewhat obscured by notes of malts.M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.O: This beer would be a lot better if it had more peach flavors. (570 characters)

O: This was strange - it was more like a thick, boozy Tripel than any Saison I've ever had, with the sweetness and maltiness really outweighing the fruit and spice. I was expecting something bright and refreshing based on the name, and instead got something that was something of a chore to drink. There were some interesting flavors, to be sure, but it didn't really cohere overall.

S: Bright stone fruit, aromatic malt, and restrained brettanomyces are all detectable in balanced proportions. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with underattenuated biscuit malt, ambiguous mixed fruit, and expanding yeast esters. Grain appears extremely refined, simplistic, for the most part in the middle although a phantom whiff of toastiness comes and goes. Flavors retreat and dry out into the finish where a residual fruit quality channels some recognizable peach. A fine thread of transient moist earth is also detected. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium viscosity, syrupy on the palate until the finish where late acidity is revealed, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This beer appears to be an experiment using ingredients gathered from American Southern culture. While the name suggests a fruit beer, the actual product attempts to straddle a few different camps. At a distance its sensory qualities generate appeal, although its taste is unfortunately similar to a generic strong golden ale in the form of so many of Dogfish Head's high gravity beers. Considering what this beer is able to accomplish, it seems to be stronger than necessary. While the name suggests something accessible and refreshing, in actuality it becomes a bit cloying before long. (1,445 characters)

"An afternoon on the stoop, foot stomps a loop. Southern style poured in 2 glasses, time becomes molasses. Harmony with hominy grits, peel the peaches and throw out the pits, get some action in the bottle with Brettanomyces. G Love in a brew. Peach porch lounger sings just for you. No bottle date, one time release collaboration between New Belgium & G Love. Brewed in the style of a Saison with Molasses, lemon peel and peach juice added.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a New Belgium Globe glass. Served above 54º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy foamed golden-white head over a heavily carbonated golden amber body tone with mild haziness and sediment in tow. Retention is about average- it isn't as presentable as it could be but there is a consistent curtain of lacing around the glass which makes for a decent appearance. 3.25

(Smell) Generally clean spiced pale malt blend, slightly wet bread with a faint sweetness, moderate sourness from the Brett and a mild waft of fruit notes. Not a lot of citrus character notable as well as an understated peach character, but I'm glad that the molasses is also well-controlled as not to dominate or mislead the aroma. This brings me back to a small handful of New Belgium's sour projects, but may be notable for it's approachability and simplicity. Potency is medium/high. Nice aroma despite suppressed expectations. 3.5

(Taste) A definite sweetness up front continues through to the finish for a forward molasses character. More notable is a sweet fruit syrup blend, slightly peach-forward character. It's a touch more sweet than is necessary, even the tart character manages to be overshadowed by the sweetness at times and is too underdeveloped to balance out. A lighter body and slightly lower alcohol could make for a much better-balanced beer with a higher drinkability. In terms of a "lounger beer", this one might do you in shortly after one bottle. It's not a distracting beer but it certainly doesn't hold up to New Belgium's more sought-after sours. 3.25

(Mouthfeel) Mild breadiness with a mild slick sweetness, mildly syrupy finish. Slightly dry cracker malt finish with a touch of sour funk. Mild carbonation presence. Medium alcohol presence, medium/heavy body for the style, a touch heavier than anticipated for a Saison. Overall it doesn't fault much in the carbonation but the texture and body is suggestive of an unnecessarily heavier beer, and this beer deserves a much lighter character to properly represent the style it falls under. 3

(Overall) With New Belgium constantly pumping out new side projects under the Lips of Faith series, some of these come awfully close in similarity. Peach Porch Lounger is curious in that it tries for a Saison but comes off too heavy so, focusing too much on the molasses and too little on the peach fruit character and sourness. The balance is not ideal as a result and the drinkability is hindered as a result. As a "lounger" style beer, I hoped for something a bit lighter, crisper and less boozy in flavor. Hopefully the other bottle that I have of this will remedy the issue of imbalance through time in the near future. 3.25

A: Apricot hue with a large head that quickly fades to a steady thin film: lacing is okay

S: Definitely some peach a long with some slight funk: hay, grass, grains, mustiness also, and plenty of lemon and lemon rind with a subtle brown sugary undertone

T: Very dry on the front; not the funk I thought might be here from the aroma: still some though--especially in the finish--wet hay, grass; I like how the peach and lemon are subtle and really play of the brett nicely; some slight alcohol burn on the finish but not too hot--considering it's almost 10%

F: Dry and crisp up front with a lingering stickiness in the finish; somewhat creamy in between

O: A really nice wild from a brewery that has done a lot of nice wilds; like I said earlier I love how the fruit flavors mingle with the brett; this is a really refreshing beer and great for the summer to fall transition

Hazy opaque apricot hue, thin two finger head with practically no retention. Surprisingly forms a ton of lacing that slathers the glass. How unexpected for a fruit beer.

Pale cereal grains, wheat, lemon zest, lots of coriander spice and Brett funk. Thin fresh peach and fruit aroma, can be sensed but very faint. A touch of vinegar and sharp alcohol really releases from the glass.

Pale malt steps out of the way quickly as the palate has to rough it with fruit, spices and alcohol hitting the palate simultaneously. Nuances of peach, lemon zest, sour apples and a slight vinegar finish. Coriander, Brett funk and clove spice notes and really noticable alcohol. Finishes with a metallic tang before it fades and releases a slight fruity sweetness. While the sweetness from the fruit and the molasses has been held well in check the booze is running rampant and harsh in this one. I enjoy puzzles but this is a complex mess to be sure.

Adequate carbonation, fruit tones it down and makes it rather smooth on the palate before the alcohol really shows its teeth.

New Belgium is really falling to about 50/50 on its LoF series,while staying true to its creative roots. This one is a miss. The complexity of this beer is done well enough and the sweetness is really held back which is contrary to my expectations. I think I would have preferred a thick cloying version of this beer to what it is now, thin malt and juice trying to hold back a wave of alcohol. (1,459 characters)

A: Pours a clear golden apricot in color with some moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some orange highlights. The beer has a finger and a half tall slightly sudsy beige head that reduces to a medium sized patch of very thin film towards the center of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light amounts of grainy malts with moderate to strong aromas of peach. There are some slight notes of grassy hops and possibly a touch of brett funkiness..

T: Upfront there is a light amount of pale and grainy malts which underlies a sweet peach (slightly artificial) flavor which is pretty strong. There are light amounts of brett funkiness and just a touch of grassy hops. Minimal amounts of bitterness are present and fade very quickly.

M: Just slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate to strong amounts of carbonation.

O: Not the best peach beer that I have had but certainly not the worst... I like the slight touch of brett funkiness but I wish the peach was not quite as sweet (and a touch artificial). Fairly easy to drink with the alcohol is fairly well hidden. (1,148 characters)

A - Pours with a small head of white foam on top of a lightly hazy, dark golden body. The foam settles quickly and leaves light lace.

S - Thick, wheat malt with lots of spice and fruit notes and a big dose of coriander.

T - Sweet, thick, syrupy malt up front with a bit of fruit that is, oddly, more apricot than peach. Lemon and pepper in the middle with more of the palate coating syrupy sweetness. Finishes with some odd spicy notes of coriander and musty, phenolic brett.

D - Way too thick and sweet for my taste, and while there are some interesting things going on here I can't really bring myself to say it works. The brett and fruit combine to make it taste like they just put a huge amount of coriander in it and that doesn't make for a very enjoyable beer. Like many of the Lips of Faith beers, this one is more interesting than good. (922 characters)

Overall: this one is pretty funky and although not necessarily hard to drink just not very enjoyable. The peach comes across as too artificial and not so much as fresh fruit. Also has a sense of being too boozy. (505 characters)

Not surprisingly, it pours a peachy color. It's got a slight haze so it's predominantly opaque, though barely. The head is barely mentionable and lacks any sort of retention.

The smell confused me until I saw this was a saison and I read about the Brett. It then made sense. Funky is the only way to describe it. Has a fruity, cinnamony smell. Very pleasant.

Cinnamon and alcohol with only a smatter of peach. You'd guess the citrus aspect, but may not choose peach. Really, too many flavors going on to pick them all out.

There are layers of feel to this beer. Starts off with an acidy citrus feel. Spices start to kick in mid-sip, along with the funky yeast. In the finish, some spicy bitterness along with some ABV heat.

I didn't know what to think of this. I like peach flavor, high ABV and saisons, but didn't know how they'd all work together. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. It's a strange-ish beer, but it all works out. (948 characters)

Been waiting for some time now to try out this Musical Molasses! Bought in California, but drank in Korea, chillin' for quite a while in my 'fridge, it just struck me one Sunday afternoon that the time had come!

Poured from a deuce-deuce into an IPA-style glass, with any regards to fuckin' around left behind on the trans-Pacific flight. The beer itself came out a light hue, with minimal head, which in other realms, is unacceptable, but here, fit the bill perfectly. Settled nicely into the the transitory glass, before it was transferred to my mind, body, and soul.

The smell segued into the taste, with odes to flora adequately compensated for, the whole process through. There were hints of olfactory from the brewery in Colorado, touches of taste from the streets of Philadelphia, and of course a combination of the two, from where all things worthwhile converge, in California.

The 9.4% certainly didn't go unnoticed, although it was beautifully masked behind the scents and tastes associated with this fine brew. Likewise, it paired well with the 1995 album, "Coast To Coast Motel", which was in turn, the perfect accompanying soundtrack to this ale.

Overall, as expected, a journey through musical time and taste, showcasing the genius in this wonderful series put out by New Belgium... (1,300 characters)

It is a light but very clear amber with a goog sized head but lots of lacingGreat saison smell, some citrus along with Brett (?)Good taste but nothing specialMouthfeel is also solid, plenty of bubbly feel followed by warming

On tap at the Oak Cafe. Pours a cloudy golden-orange color, kind of pale, no real head to speak of other than a thin white film that hugs the edge of the glass; minimal lacing. Aroma was, of course, heavy with peaches, but it was balanced out cleanly with a heavy dose of yeast. Some booze comes through on the nose as well, but not harshly so. Taste was kind of weird for me - at first, I wasn't a big fan of it. Peach hits a little too abrasively and is almost a little too sweet, kind of distracting to the rest of the beer. As it warmed up a bit, it got much better. Some alcohol came out and really helped to balance the peach. Also tasted some apricot and pear. Very slight clove and bubblegum were detectable, mostly likely due to the Belgian strain of yeast used. The mouth is left with fading notes of sweetness and yeast. Thin-medium in body, medium-heavy carbonation.

This one is still weird for me. The latter half of it wasn't too bad, but I didn't like it at first. Not completely awful, and perhaps I could evolve to enjoy this one over time, but at this moment, I'm not really digging this one. At all. (1,119 characters)

22 ounce bottle into signature globe glass, bottled on 7/17/2012. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a 1-2 finger fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice spotty foamy lacing on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lemon zest, pear, peach, pepper, clove, light banana, coriander, earth, wheat, bread, floral, grass, slight funkiness, and yeast spiciness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity; very sweet and malty. Taste of pear, peach, pepper, coriander, lemon peel, herbal, floral, earth, grass, light banana, wheat, clove, and light yeast spiciness. Light earthy spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, pepper, coriander, lemon peel, floral, grass, earth, light banana, wheat, clove, and yeast spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Nice flavor complexity with decent balance; very malty with moderate spiciness; minimal cloying sweetness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a lightly slick, syrupy, and fairly crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a pretty good imperial saison. Not as spicy as I would have hoped given the style, but there were some nice flavor complexities; and it was quite smooth to sip on. This was a pretty enjoyable offering. (1,388 characters)

Pours clear and light yellow. Smells like a saison: out of doors like funk, and alcohol like cider-i-ness, and fruit and citrus and lemon. Taste is sour and sweet and grassy and brett-like funk and really has a pleasant, late stone fruit sustain of the fruit. The peach is somewhat artificial at first, but has a pleasant post fruit snack glow...interesting here. Mouthfeel is terrific, and fast and only moderately dry. A good saison and fun to try, but like most of these, I'd rather try than drink a lot. (507 characters)

Pours a little dark for the style, sparkling gold with a nice white head. Smells of alcohol, mildly spicy saison yeast, and just a little hint of peach schnapps that I probably would have overlooked if I hadn't been prompted by the bottle to seek it out.

Tastes like it smells: a run of the mill American saison with a tiny little kiss of alcohol peaches at the back end. It's an interesting experience, after several sips, because you realize that it's simultaneously a nursin' brew and a session brew. The peachy back end in refreshing and makes you want to drink more, and quickly. But the alcohol spice beginning and middle signal the high ABV and tempt us season drinkers towards slower, more contemplative imbibing. The effect is at first a little disconcerting but it actually gets quite pleasant after a while.